Deadly Reunion (Hardy Brothers Security Book 20) by Lily Harper Hart

pillow.
    “Better?”
    “Don’t worry about me, Finn,” Emma chided. “Worry about yourself. You were … shot.” She could barely get the word out.
    “Emma, I’m okay,” Finn said, kissing her cheek. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I would’ve called you myself to tell you I was okay, but I lost my phone in the confusion.”
    “I’m not angry, Finn,” Emma said. “I’m … relieved. I’m thankful. I don’t know how it happened, but you’ve filled up my heart and made my life complete. The idea of going on without you … I don’t think I could do it.”
    Finn hated the way her voice broke. “Sweetie, you don’t have to do that,” he said. “I’m right here and I’m fine. Just for the sake of argument, though, you’re so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’re … amazing. You would’ve figured out a way to take care of yourself and Avery. I have faith. My family would’ve helped, too.”
    “I don’t want to talk about that,” Emma said, a tear sliding down her cheek. “You’re here and that’s all I care about.”
    “Okay,” Finn said, kissing her neck and drawing her close. “I’ll be here all night if the fear gets the better of you, though.”
    “I’m done letting the fear get the better of me,” Emma said. “We’re going to get a good night’s sleep and then tomorrow I’m going to spoil you rotten. That’s what Ally says she’s doing with Avery tonight, by the way.”
    “I have no doubt,” Finn said, exhaling heavily. “I’m so sorry, sweetie, but I don’t think I’m going to last much longer. The medication they gave me is … intense.”
    “Then sleep,” Emma instructed. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
    “That’s the only reason I’m happy about going to sleep.”
    “I’ll be right here forever,” Emma added.
    “Good,” Finn murmured. “I love you and I can’t live without you.”
    “That goes double for me.”

    “ W HAT are you doing ?”
    Mandy found James staring at his computer screen in his home office shortly before midnight. They’d gone to bed together an hour before, but when she woke – something dragging her out of a happy dream – she found James’ side of the bed empty.
    “What are you doing up, baby?” James asked, his voice raspy. He was shirtless and clad only in boxer shorts. “Did I wake you? I turned the volume low because I didn’t want to do that.”
    “Your absence in bed woke me,” Mandy answered, moving around the side of his desk and letting him pull her on his lap. She was dressed in simple cotton sleep shorts and a seamless tank top, her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail so it wouldn’t be scattered in a hundred different directions when they woke. “James, you need to get some sleep.”
    “I can’t sleep, baby,” James said, kissing her cheek. “I need to know what happened to Finn.”
    “I understand that,” Mandy said, cringing as James started the video feed again and she was forced to watch her brother-in-law go down while protecting an unmoving blond woman. “I don’t think watching this video is about solving the case right now, though.”
    “Of course it’s about solving the case,” James said, tugging on his limited patience. “What else would it be about?”
    “Guilt.”
    “Oh, just … lay off the amateur psychology, okay?” James pushed Mandy to her feet and swiveled his desk chair in such a way it became clear he didn’t want her joining him. “I’m sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep. I’ll come to bed as soon as I’m done here.”
    Mandy licked her lips and tilted her head to the side as she decided how to respond. “You can’t just dismiss me as if I’m the help or something. You know that, right?”
    “That’s not what I was doing,” James protested.
    “That’s exactly what you were doing,” Mandy shot back. “I came in here to talk to you and you were happy to let me get close until I told you something you didn’t like. Then you